UK manufacturers increasing use of local suppliers, says EEF

A growing number of manufacturers are bringing their hunt for local suppliers and even production back in-house, according to a survey released today by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation.
Mon, 13 Aug 2012
A growing number of manufacturers are bringing their hunt for local suppliers and even production back in-house, according to a survey released today by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation.

As a result of economic events and natural disasters, around two-fifths of firms have been bringing production in-house and a quarter have increased their use of local suppliers.Lee Hopley, chief economist at the EEF, says: “We need to capitalise on this opportunity by removing obstacles for manufacturers looking to expand capacity or diversify into new areas by creating a business environment that pulls in every pound of vital investment to our economy.”

According to the EEF, around a quarter of manufacturers have increased the number of overseas suppliers in the past two years, and one in five say half their suppliers are located outside the UK.

Within automotive manufacturing, every job created at an original equipment manufacturer – where final vehicles are put together – can create over seven in the supply chain, and in the case of the automotive supply chain, around 80% of components can be produced in the UK, as recruiter.co.uk reported previously.

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